Mauritius

Mauritius:

Quick Facts:

Area: 787 sq milesCapital City: Port LouisGovernment: Parliamentary RepublicPresident: Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Prime Minister: Pravind JugnauthLanguages: English is the official language, French and Creole are used by the local people in every day life.Location: Off the east coast of Africa, due south east of MadagascarPopulation size: 1,261,456 Population density: 1,636.5/sq miTelephone code: +230 followed by the phone numberTime difference: GMT + 4 hours

Banks/ Foreign Exchange:

The local currency is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs). Traveller’s cheques may be exchanged at cashier’s desks at the hotels. However, most hotels are close to commercial banks where you may receive a better rate of exchange. Cash points are available at most banks where you may withdraw up to Mrps10 000 per week on your credit card. There are Bureau de Change in both the Arrivals and Departure Halls.

Banking hours:

Monday to Thursday

09h15 – 15h15

Fridays

09h15 – 17h15

(closed on Saturdays)

Climate:

Situated near the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius has a subtropical climate. Good weather is enjoyed year-round.
There are two seasons; summer (November to April), with an average daytime temperature of 30°, and winter (May to September) where lows average 17° and highs around 24°.

The period September to November enjoys pleasant temperatures between 25° and 28°. Mauritius does not experience a monsoon season.

The Cyclone season is generally between January and March. Tropical cyclones passing near Mauritius can bring high winds and heavy rain, but these are uncommon.

In summer, sunrise is at 5.00am and sunset at 7.00pm. In winter, sunrise is at 6.00am and sunset at 6.00pm.
December through March is the best time for diving, when the waters are at their clearest. June through August is best for surfing, and October through April is excellent for big game fishing, when the large game fish feed close to shore.

–

ºF(Avg Temp)

ºC(Avg Temp)

Sunshine(Avg Hours per month)

Rain(Avg inches per month)

Rain(Avg mm per month)

January

86º

30º

8 hours

8″

190mm

February

84º

29º

7 hours

8″

200mm

March

84º

29º

7 hours

8″

190mm

April

82º

28º

8 hours

5″

135mm

May

89º

26º

7 hours

4″

100mm

June

76º

24º

7 hours

3″

75mm

July

75º

24º

8 hours

2″

55mm

August

75º

24º

8 hours

2″

45mm

September

77º

25º

8 hours

1″

35mm

October

80º

27º

8 hours

2″

45mm

November

83º

28º

9 hours

2″

60mm

December

85º

29º

8 hours

5″

125mm

Clothing:

Generally casual with some preferring fashionable beachwear during the day. Evening wear is smart casual. During the cooler months from May to September, a light sweater of jacket is recommended for the evening.

Credit Cards/ Currency:

The local currency is Mauritian Rupee(Rs). Rs1,00 is divided into 100 cents. It is recommended that you take your foreign currency in traveller’s cheques. Travelers cheques in any hard currency e.g. US$, Euro or Sterling are accepted, but commission is charged on encashment. Payment by credit card can be made at all hotels. Cards accepted are American Express, MasterCard and Visa and Diners Club. Cash is really only required for tips and purchases from beach vendors.

Departure Tax:

Included in air ticket

Duty Free:

Duty free shops are located in the Arrivals and Departure Halls. Articles are priced in Mauritian Rupees but payment can be made by credit card, any foreign currency or in Mauritian Rupees.

On arrival it is not necessary to access the Red Route at Customs unless you are importing goods. Items per adult over 16 years, which are duty free, include:

200 cigarettes

2 litres of wine or beer

1 litre of spirits

250 ml eau de toilette or 10 cl of perfume

Security:

Ensure that your passport, air tickets and travellers’ cheques are safely stored in either the individual safe in your room or at the hotel safety boxes. Do not leave jewellery, cell phones, cameras, binoculars or any other valuables in your room or public areas.

Electrical Current:

220/230 volts AC. Twin plugs are the same as in South Africa (round prongs), but three-pin plugs have square prongs, the same as those in use in Britain.

Health Concerns:

Mauritius is a Malaria free area and every effort is made to keep it as such. At certain times of the year, particularly in the summer months, it is necessary to use mosquito repellent. Sprays in the rooms are available on request.

Metal Hips, Pins, Knee Replacements, Pacemakers, etc:

Please be aware that if any guests travelling with us have had a knee or hip replacement (usually metal) or have pins, pacemakers, etc., they may set off security alarms at airports which can prevent them from being allowed to board. Our recommendation is that they travel with a doctor’s card / letter stating this information, to show security officials to ensure there are no delays, especially at our regional airports.

Holidays:

Date

Day

Holiday

1 Jan

Tue

New Year’s Day

2 Jan

Wed

New Year Holiday

21 Jan

Mon

Thaipoosam Cavadee

1 Feb

Fri

Abolition of Slavery

5 Feb

Tue

Chinese New Year

4 Mar

Mon

Maha Shivaratree

12 Mar

Tue

National Day

6 Apr

Sat

Ugadi

1 May

Wed

Labour Day

5 Jun

Wed

Eid al-Fitr

3 Sep

Tue

Ganesh Chaturthi

27 Oct

Sun

Divali

1 Nov

Fri

All Saints’ Day

2 Nov

Sat

Arrival of Indentured Labourers

25 Dec

Wed

Christmas Day

Passport/ Visa Requirements:

Visas are not the responsibility of Trans Africa Safaris. Please check with local authorities for all information pertaining to visa requirements. Other nationalities – it is the responsibility of the overseas booking agent to check visa requirements. If you request us to check the information for you, we will do so and give you the status which is current at that time. Trans Africa Safaris cannot be held responsible if the visa situation changes after we have provided the information. We suggest you check at the time of booking and again one month prior to clients’ departure from home country.

Passports:The situation regarding blank pages in passports, for visits to Southern Africa, changes regularly. Please see the list of counties with their specific requirements below:

Passports must be valid for 6 months after your departure from Southern Africa

Shopping:

Shopping in Mauritius is a pleasurable experience with high quality goods available at local boutiques, factory shops or on the beach. Quality jewellery purchases include diamonds and gold which are duty free in recognized shops. Pearls are sold by beach vendors and range from high quality to the everyday freshwater variety. Fine Oriental carpets are in abundance and fashionable woolen garments are manufactured locally. Pashminas vary from fake to the real thing. Beach vendors expect to be bargained with. Factory shops are located all over the island selling good quality copies of Ralph Laurent and Polo garments at very reasonable prices.

It is illegal to purchase or remove shells from the island unless from a licensed vendor. Other good purchases are beautifully embroidered Chinese linen and tableware. Fun items include basket-ware, bead-ware and other crafts either locally manufactured or imported.

Shopping hours:

Port Louis

Cure Pipe

Monday to Friday

09h00 – 17h00

Monday to Friday (excl Thursday)

09h00 – 18h00

Saturday

09h00 – 13h00

Thursday and Sunday

09h00 – 12h00

Sunday

09h00 – 12h00

Saturday

09h00 – 17h00

Photography:

A good SLR (single lens reflex) or digital SLR camera with telephoto zoom lens is recommended for photography of birds and animals, as is colour reversal film (slides) if using film as this will give better quality pictures than regular film. A big memory card / abundant film and spare batteries as recommended as these are often not available at the bush camps/lodges